Rock of Ages is the kind of theatrical proposition that sounds like a joke until you’re three songs in and the live band hits the opening riff of “Here I Go Again.” The Tony-nominated Broadway musical (five nominations, a run that stretched over five years on Broadway, a 2012 film adaptation) has made the case across many touring productions that a story built around Foreigner, Styx, Twisted Sister, and Whitesnake works better with dramatic stakes attached. Paper Moon Theatre’s Ottawa-based company tested that argument in June 2026 at Hard Rock Live Ottawa, where over 1,300 tickets had sold in advance of the run. The same production comes to Kingston Grand Theatre in February.
About the Show
Rock of Ages, with book by Chris D’Arienzo and arrangements by Ethan Popp through Concord Theatricals, is set on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip in 1987. The story follows aspiring rocker Drew and small-town arrival Sherrie Christian, who meet at the Bourbon Room, a struggling rock club facing corporate demolition, in a narrative that earns its keep by giving the music somewhere to land dramatically. The score draws from the era’s arena-rock canon: “Here I Go Again,” “The Final Countdown,” “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” and “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” drawn from Foreigner, Styx, Twisted Sister, Whitesnake, Journey, Bon Jovi, REO Speedwagon, and Pat Benatar. A live rock band plays throughout. The show’s own billing, “part Broadway musical, part rock concert and completely over the top,” is accurate enough to double as a review.
Paper Moon Theatre is led by Artistic Director Jason Sedlar and Musical Director and Co-Producer Sabrina Tang. The Kingston engagement covers four performances across the weekend of February 19–21, 2027.
Venue & Logistics
Kingston Grand Theatre is at 218 Princess Street in Kingston, Ontario — part of the publication’s north-country coverage footprint, and accessible for readers willing to make the cross-border drive for a weekend theatrical run. The Rosen Auditorium hosts all four performances. Opening night, Friday, February 19, begins at 7:30 p.m.; additional performances run Saturday, February 20 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, February 21 at 6 p.m.
Tickets
Tickets are available in multiple tiers (plus HST and applicable handling fees): Premium at $87.87, Regular at $71.96, Student Regular at $61.93, Value at $59.56, and Student Value at $51.40. An advance password-protected sale opened October 13, 2026 at noon; public on-sale begins October 16, 2026 at noon. Buy tickets.